Bushmaster Carbon15

Anyone have any experience with Bushmasters Cabon 15 rifles. Interested in accuracy and durability. Thanks

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taliv

January 23, 2008, 03:05 PM

anecdotal data: i used stripped carbon 15 upper and stripped lower to build my competition gun. 683 rounds through it so far and no issues, but then, you wouldn't really expect to see any durability issues after so few rounds.

i would use them again (and in fact, i may go ahead and buy a few just in case they get banned).

however, before buying a complete rifle from them, make sure the parts are 100% interchangeable, if you're concerned about that sort of thing.

denster

January 23, 2008, 03:13 PM

Thanks taliv

I'm curious! Whose internals and barrel did you use to build your comp gun?

MudPuppy

January 23, 2008, 05:33 PM

Guy here at work has one, SBR'ed. Shot fine the one time we were out, if a "little" loud. He's got the upper/lower setup for as light and small as possible.

denster

January 24, 2008, 07:27 PM

Doesn't seem to be many out there with any experience with them.

ramey84

January 24, 2008, 08:00 PM

I've put about a thousand rounds through mine without a hiccup.
accuracy is as good as me with open sights, i've never scoped it.
overall i'm pretty happy with it.

taliv

January 24, 2008, 10:22 PM

I'm curious! Whose internals and barrel did you use to build your comp gun?

(disclaimer: it's a toy, please don't take any of this as a recommendation)

i put a really crappy picture of it on one of the lightweight threads a few days ago

22_Shooter

January 25, 2008, 10:26 PM

If you read any AR boards, the Carbon's don't have a good rep. I don't have any personal experience with them, but I would look hard into reviewing them before you buy.

Wes Janson

January 26, 2008, 01:07 AM

I bought a used one...I think it's had at least 100 rounds through it so far, mostly crap Wallyworld UMC. One doublefeed, but that very well may have been due to the questionable-source, previously-untested 20-rounder in use at the time (no failures with PMags or the included aluminum 30rd). It even digested a couple rounds of Wolf. As far as I can see, it's a surprisingly nice rifle. Gives the impression of flimsiness at first, but once you shoot it for a bit, the incredible lightness of it really starts to grow on you.

ronin223

January 26, 2008, 08:52 AM

mine is an early PO version and from the factory would shoot completely off target, bushmaster fixed it, even though I bought it used and never had any problems since.

the down side, is it is very light, and difficult to do quick follow up shots, a regular ar, after you take a shot the front sight goes up and the the right a little. The PO ar-15 after you take a shot, the front sight shakes all around, so it takes a little longer to get back on target because of its 'random' pattern, maybe the muzzle brake. also recoil is more than an metal AR, but less than an 7.62x39 ak.

Bartholomew Roberts

January 26, 2008, 11:42 AM

Hey taliv, how is the ABS barrel working for you? I had to return two of mine and finally gave up on them.

El Tejon

January 26, 2008, 12:16 PM

The .22 rimfire version count?

denster

January 26, 2008, 08:54 PM

Thanks for the input guys. I checked through the other boards and most of the bad reports were heard from a friend of a friend etc. Bought the used one I had been looking at yesterday. Mounted a aimpoint and headed to the range today with a couple hundred rounds of Wolf 62gr hp. Ran fine with nary a problem. Good accuracy. I think I'll keep it.

taliv

January 26, 2008, 10:05 PM

Hey taliv, how is the ABS barrel working for you? I had to return two of mine and finally gave up on them.

i'm extremely pleased. granted, i'm not asking much of it, other than it be super-light, which of course it is. i don't shoot for groups with it. i just try to put one or two rounds on an IPSC silhouette as fast as possible and it works great for that.

despite the price, just this week I was talking to them about having two more barrels made.

I'm thinking about having one made for another AR15 build for my daughter (mostly to make sure she's got an AR when she grows up) and I'm also thinking about one for me on a "serious" rifle, possibly letting LWRC build a piston SBR around it.

I'm trying to think of all the things that could possibly go wrong that would make me regret getting carbon fiber. for instance, after a day's shooting, when it's time to hammer the "quick detach" on the suppressor loose, i wonder how it would hold up.

I shot 1 day of jeff white's carbine class and 1 practical rifle match with it so far, and in both, i smacked the barrel on some barriers a few times with no ill effects. still not sure it's up to all the yanking and twisting and hammering long-term.

(i'll PM you with some of my other plans)

in any case, it sucks that you got a couple lemons. if you're still interested, i'd say it's worth giving them one more shot.

denster

January 29, 2008, 11:19 PM

Bump

razcob

January 30, 2008, 09:38 AM

I am researching this gun (internet) and have found reports of feeding problems and cracked uppers. It appears that most of the articles, that I read, were written several years ago. I also read that the guns that were returned to Bushmaster for feeding problems are apparently working fine since the repair. I would like to know if Bushmaster reinforced or redesigned the feeding ramp and/or made any recent improvements. If I get time this afternoon, I will call Bushmaster.

denster

January 30, 2008, 01:18 PM

On the one I bought. "Bushmaster" there is no exposed carbon fiber feed ramp for the cartridges to bumb, It's a straight shot up the barrell ramp and into the chamber. Can't speak to the reinforcing as I don't have a P.O. to compare it to.

razcob

January 30, 2008, 07:15 PM

Denster,
When was your Carbon 15 manufactured?

denster

January 30, 2008, 08:38 PM

About a year old.

razcob

January 31, 2008, 03:53 PM

I called Bushmaster today, and was told that the feed ramp on the Carbon 15 LE Pistols have been extended and redesigned. He said it was similar to an M4. The rep. also said that the carbon receivers were reinforced since the first models. I mentioned that the C15 LE Pistol was listed as a pistol, and he said it was a short barreled rifle. I guess the I.T. department hasn't fixed the website.

Will Learn

January 31, 2008, 04:36 PM

I've been looking at Calvary Arms lowers to build a lightweight gun on. I wonder how they stack up(wieght/durability) against bushmaster's carbon 15? Cav arms has a lifetime warranty for regular use failures and $35 replacement if broke by the user. 4.5 lbs is darn light, I think I'm going to look into building something like that. I think I might use a chrome moly pencil barrel instead.

Will Learn

January 31, 2008, 04:50 PM

Just got off the phone with Calvary arms and they said their lowers weigh under 2lbs and he thought around 1.6lbs. One cool thing is he said they sell completes for $200. He said that a complete rifle with a lightweight 14.5 barrel and a rear sight would weigh 5.6lbs. I'm wondering what your cutting on your rifle to knock off 1.1lbs? Are the carbon barrels that much lighter than the lightweight CM barrels?

razcob

January 31, 2008, 09:17 PM

The Bushmaster I am looking at is the Class III, Carbon 15 LE Pistol (http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_carbon15_AZ-C15BMP21S.asp) It has a stainless steel 7.25 inch barrel. The whole rifle weighs 5.1 pounds, without the magazine.

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